Container closure



y 1953 E. GRONEMEYER ETAL 2,639,057

CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed March 15, 1949 IN VEN TORS EP/CH GeONEMEYE/E BY5HMUEL 6HEEBA WA]. 4AM

ATTORNEY Patented May 19, 1953 OFFICE CONTAINER CLOSURE ErichGronemeyer, Pompton Plains, and Samuel Cherba, Totowa, N. J.

Application March 15, 1949, Serial No. 81,456

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved closure for containers, and moreparticularly it relates to the improved combination of a cap and acontainer having a neck thereon.

The invention has among its objects the provision of a novel combinationof a cheaply made, easily applied, cap with a novel neck of a container,the cap being of such construction and cooperating with the neck of thecontainer in such manner that although the cap is easily assembled onsuch neck and disassembled therefrom it provides a tight, shake-proof,seal therewith.

The invention has as a further object the provision of the combinationof a cap of the indicated character with a container having a neckthereon, the cap and neck cooperating in such manner that the cap may beapplied to and removed from the container neck by an essentiallystraight-line movement along the axis of the container neck.

Yet another object of the invention resides in the provision of thecombination of the container neck and cap of such design that a fluidtight seal is provided between the neck and the cap even though thelatter is not fully applied to the neck, or has been partially removedtherefrom, whereby a seal is provided between cap and neck over anappreciable range of travel of the cap on the neck.

These and further objects of the invention will be more readily apparentupon consideration of the following description and illustration ofpreferred embodiments of the invention.

The container shown in the accompanying drawings, to which the cap ofthe invention is applied by way of illustration, is of the collapsibletube type in which are sold toothpastes, shaving creams, unguents, andthe like. Whereas the cap, and the combination of such cap with thecontainer neck, of the invention find perhaps their greatest advantageswhen employed on a collapsible tube such as shown, it is to beunderstood that the cap of the invention and its combination with thecontainer neck may be employed on various other types of containers.

Containers such as collapsible tubes have long been provided with neckshaving screw threads on the outer surfaces thereof, the closure memberbeing a cap made, for example, of hard rubber, metal, or other hardmaterial, such cap member which is interposed between the upper innersurface of the cap and the upper lip of the neck of the container, wherethe seal is formed.

It will be appreciated that such prior closure forms a seal only whenthe cap is threaded into fully engaged position upon the container neckso that the gasket or sealing member is tightly pressed against the lipof the neck of the container. Thus, should the cap be loosened somewhat,accidentally or otherwise, there is no longer provided a seal at thecontainer neck. Furthermore, the gasket or sealing disc is veryfrequently lost and is usually removed and thrown away by the user uponhis first opening of the tube. Thereafter, of course, no seal ispossible with the cap, the cap merely acting as a cover when reappliedto the container neck. The screw type of closure is furtherdisadvantageous because of the time required to remove it and also toreplace it.

The use of the gasket or sealing disc is further disadvantageous,particularly when the material in the collapsible tube is adapted to beused with a tubular applicator applied to the neck of the container,since quite frequently the gasket remains on the lip of the containerupon removal is designed to overcome the above pointed out Idisadvantages of prior art closures. Briefly, the invention comprisesproviding a container having a neck thereon, the outer surface of theneck being generally cylindrical, such neck having at least one annularzone thereon which is smooth and uninterrupted. The container closure,which has a sleeve portion designed to telescope over the abovedescribed neck and form a seal therewith, is made from an elastomerwhich is relatively still. The internal dimension of the skirt of thecap in that zone adapted to cooperate with the smooth annularuninterrupted zone on the neck is such that normally, that is, when itis not applied to the container neck, it is slightly less in diameterthan the diameter of such smooth uninterrupted annular zone of the neck.The sleeve portion of the closure yields sufificiently when it isapplied to the container neck, by motion which may be essentiallystraight-line along the axis of the neck, so as tightly to engage andform a seal with the smooth uninterrupted annular zone on the neck.

Means are provided on the container neck, or on the container neck andthe removable closure member, to provide marked frictionalinterengagement between the removable closure member and the containerneck at a zone other than the sealing zone, whereby the closure memberis firmly held in sealing position on th neck when fully appliedthereto. The frictional engaging means is of such character, however,that it does not prevent the ready and easy removal of the closuremember from the container neck, when desired, nor impede the applicationof the member to the neck.

In the illustrated embodiment such frictional engaging means takes theform of a zone, the form of a helical land on the container neckfrictionally engaging the normally smooth inner wall of the sleeve orskirt of the closure member, the cap and neck having such relation toeach other that the cap may be applied to or removed from the container,if desired, by straight-line axial movement of the cap on the neck.

The invention will be more. readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevationof th neck of the container employedin the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical axial section through a capmade inaccordance with the invention, the cap being shown. removed from thecontainer neck; and

Fig. 3 is a view in. vertical section. through the container. neck ofFig. 1, such neck having. a cap such as shown in Figs 2. engagedthereon.

The container illustrated is av collapsible tube the main body of whichis designated. 5, and.

the conical portion at its upper and connecting such body to the neckthereof is designated 8. In; the embodiment of Figs. 1 and. 3. theraised portion on. the. external surface. of the. neck of the containerfrictionally. engaging the cap is upon the container neck. 44: areformed, in this-- instance, by. means of arolling betw which and thecontainer neckthere is relative rotation and relative travel axially of;con tainer neck. The rolling tool may, for example,

be brought into. contact initially. with the container tube at the.bottom. terminal. point 48. From such point the tool will continue incon-- tact with th container tube, being. pressed progressively deeperintoituntilit reaches its maximum depth after. arotation, for example,of approximately 459. The roll,thencontinues-at suchdepth withrespect.to the. neck until it is gradually withdrawn, withdrawal starting from apoint beginning for example, 45 in advanceof its terminal point. 50. Itwill be: apparent that lands 52 will. have a minimum radialheight atpoints- 50 and 48, the height thereof. increasing from. such pointsuntil the location. of maximum depth. of the rolling tool. forming, the;groove between lands is reached. The top terminal. point 5u lies. anappreciable distance below the lip 58 of the neck, thereby providing.an. upper smooth an-- nular sealing zone 54.. of substantial width. Inthe embodiment shown thereis a similar lower smooth annular sealing zone56, which lies below the bottom terminal. point 48 01 the ridges 52.

The cap shown in Fig. 2, generally designated 4, is provided. with.- adepending sleeveor-skirt neck, and with a transverse imperforate topportion [8, from which the skirt depends. Such cap may be made by theinjection molding of elastomeric plastic material. The cavity I2 withinskirt i3 is approximately cylindrical in section, the vertical elementsof its interior wall 15 being parallel in its main portion until itreaches the lower, internally flared, end [4 thereof. The outer wall 16of skirt it] lies generally parallel to the inner wall of the cavity, asshown. The cap is provided with an outwardly projecting annular flange2B which, as shown, is roughened so, that it may be grasped easily bythe user. The upper inner wall of transverse portion I8 of the cap isdesignated l9. Cavity l2 of the cap has a normal diameter, that is, whenthe cap is. removed from the container neck, which is designated D inFig. 2, the height of the cavity from the lower edge of the skirt tosurface l8 being designated H.

The dimensions D and H of the cap shown in Fig. 2 are made such that,when the cap is placed. upon the neck of the container in. the mannershown in Fig. 3, the internal flared zone M of the cap will restsubstantially in contact with the juncture of the neck 44 and theconical portion 8 when the lip 58 of the neck is contacted by the upperinner surface 19 of the cap. The internal. diameter Dof portion Hi ofthe cap is made slightly smaller than the diameter of the outer amiularzone 54' of the neck. In a typical example, a toothpaste tub ofconventional size, the ridges 52 lie approximately .005" beyond thesmooth surfaces of zones 56- and 54. The internal diameter D. of the capis made, in this instance, .002" smaller than the diameter of zone 54.a.

When the cap is made of the relatively stiff elastomeric plasticmaterial known as polyethylene, such construction allows the cap to beplaced upon the tube by a straight-line movement, the inner. wall of.the skirt l0 being forced progressively outwardly by the ridges 52. Whenthe cap is fully. applied it has the appearance shown in Fig. 3, inwhichthe zones of skirt l0 opposite ridges 52 are bulged slightly outwardly,the bulge being visible, or at least measurable, on the outer wall ofthe skirt I 0.- The elasticity of the skirt portion. of the cap is such:that a fluid tight seal is effected between the confronting surface I5and the annular/zone 54 of the cap at the upper end of. the neck, andalso between the bottom surface I5 of. the skirt and the lower annularzone 56.

The cap. 4-. may be applied. to the neck 44 by purely longitudinalmovement along the axis of the neck, butit is simpler with theconstruction shownv and claimed. to thrust the cap Onto theneck whileturning the cap with respect thereto. Although ridges 52. do not:appreciably permit-- nently indent the inner surface of the skirt 10 of.the cap, frictional contact between the ridges and. such inner surfaceI5 is sufficient togive the cap a feed onto the neck as the cap isturnedin. the direction of the hand of the ridges 52. Sealing contact inthis embodiment of the closure is effectedbetween. the. inner wall l5 ofthe skirt of, the cap andthe: upper and lower smooth annul'ar. sealingzones 54- and 5& of the container I neck It will be apparent that thezone containing raised portions on the outer surface of the neck ofthecontainer is capable of considerable variation both as to structure andto the manner. in

P which opes over the container which it is formed. It need-not beformed, for

example, by means of an indent-ing rolling tool, but may be pressed upout of the surface of the neck as a whole Without any correspondingdepressions bordering it. I

It is preferred to make the removable closure member of the abovedescribed embodiments of polyethylene, a commercially available product,one brand of which, sold under the trade-mark Polythene, is made by theDu Pont Company. Such plastic is durable and sufliciently stiff andrigid for the purpose at hand, but still is markedly resilient and issoft enough to forma very efficient seal with the container neck. Inaddition, such material is immune or substantially immune from attack byalmost any knownreagent. Another elastomeric plastic material which maybe employed for the cap or container closure member is polyvinyl acetyl,one brand of which, also made by the Du Pont Company, is designatedButacite. Other suitable elastomeric plastic materials from which thecontainer closure member of the invention may be made include celluloseacetate, cellulose nitrate, ethylcellulose, polyvinyl formal, polyvinylacetate, polyvinyl butyral, and vinylidene chloride. It is to beunderstood that the above list of materials from which the containerclosure may be made is illustrative only and is not exhaustive.

The container closure of the invention is simple and cheaply made.Operations required on the neck of the container are no more complicatednor expensive than the customary screw threading now employed inconnection with the conventional screw cap. The cap is durable and maybe applied repeatedly without substantial, if any, loss of its sealingeffect with the container neck.

Although we have described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of thecontainer closure of the invention and have indicated an illustrativeapplication thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to such construction since it may be varied considerably as todetails. It is further to be understood that the closure of theinvention is capable of use to advantage in many other applications thanthat indicated. The scope of the invention is therefore defined by theappended claims.

We claim as new the following:

1. The combination with a container having a neck, said neck having anaxial opening therethrough, of a removable cap closing the axial openingthrough the neck of the container and effecting a temporary seal withthe neck, the neck being approximately cylindrical over the majorportion of its length, the neck having within an annular zoneintermediate the ends thereof at least one relatively low ridge in theform of a helical land thereon encircling the neck, the annular zone ofthe outer surface of the neck outwardly of the ridge being smooth anduninterrupted, the outer end of the helical land starting at the levelof the outer smooth annular zone and increasing gradually in radialheight, said cap being cup shaped and including a sleeve telescoped overthe neck of the container, the sleeve being made of a relatively stiffelastomeric material, the sleeve having an annular zone on its innersurface which elastically engages the uninterrupted annular zone on thecontainer neck completely therearound and throughout substantially thelength of such zone on the neck, the inner surface of the sleeve, inanother zone, overlying and frictionally engaging the ridge on thecontainer neck, the sleeve when removed from the container neck havingan inner surface throughout the major portion of its length which issubstantially cylindrical, the diameter of such cylindrical innersurface being slightly smaller than the diameter of the smooth annularuninterrupted zone on the container neck at the outer end thereof.

2. The combination with a container having a neck, said neck having anaxial opening therethrough, said neck having an outer lip in the form ofan annular zone lying substantially in a plane at right angles to theaxis of the neck, of a removable cap closing the axial opening throughthe neck of the container and effecting a temporary seal with the neck,the neck being approximately cylindrical over the major portion of itslength, the neck having within an annular zone intermediate the endsthereof at least one relatively low ridge in the form of a helical landthereon encircling the neck, the annular zones of the outer surface ofthe neck outwardly and inwardl of the ridge being smooth anduninterrupted, the outer and inner ends of the helical land starting andending, respectively, at the level of the outer and inner smooth annularzones, respectively, the helical land increasing gradually in radialheight in opposite directions from the outer and inner ends thereof,said cap being cup shaped and including a sleeve telescoped over theneck of the container, the sleeve being made of a relatively stiffelastomeric material, the sleeve having an annular zone on its innersurface which elastically engages the uninterrupted annular zone on thecontainer neck completely therearound and throughout substantially thelengthof such zone on the neck, the inner surface of the sleeve, inanother zone, overlying and frictionally engaging the ridge on thecontainer neck, the inner top surface of the cap having at least theannular zone thereof confronting the lip ofthe neck lying in a planesubstantially at right angles to the axis of the sleeve of the cap, saidannular zone on the inner top surface of the cap effecting a seal withthe lip of the neck of the container, the sleeve when removed from thecontainer neck having an inner surface throughout the major portion ofits length which is substantially cylindrical,.the diameter of suchcylindrical inner surface being slightly smaller than the diameter ofthe smooth annular uninterrupted zone on the container neck at the outerend thereof.

3. The combination with a container having a neck, said neck having anaxial opening therethrough, of a removable cap closing the axial openingthrough the neck of the container and effecting a temporary seal withthe neck, the neck being approximately cylindrical over the majorportion of its length, the neck having a first annular zone ofsubstantial axial length adjacent its outer end, said first zone beingsmooth and uninterrupted, the neck having a second annular zone inwardlyof the first zone, there being a relatively low ridge in the form of ahelical land of large pitch on such second zone, the surface of thesecond zone, except at the land, lying on substantially the samecylinder as the first zone, said cap being cup shaped and including asleeve for telescoping over the neck of the container, the sleeve beingmade of a relatively stiff elastomeric material, the sleeve having anannular zone on its inner surface for elastically engaging the firstannular zone on the container neck completely trier-ceramic andthroughout substantially the length of suchzone on the neck", the innersurface of the sleeve, in another zone,- ov'e'rlying and frictionallyengaging the ridge on the second zone of the container neck when the capis applied to the neck, the sleeve when removed from the container neckhaving an inner surface throughout the major portion of its length whichis substantially cylindrical and an inner diameter which is slightlysmaller than the" diameter of the first annular zone on the containeineckat the outer end thereof.

4.- The combination with a container having a neck, saidneck having anaxial opening there through, said neck having an outer lip l-yin'g'substantially ina plane at right angles to the axis of the neck, of aremovable cap closing the axial opening through the neck of thecontainer and effecting atemporary seal with the neck, the neck beingapproximately cylindrical over the major portion of its length, the neckhaving a first annular zone of substantialaxial length adjacent itsouter end, said first zone being smooth and uninterrupted, the neckhaving a secondannular zone intermediate the ends thereof and inwardlyof the first zone, there being a relatively low ridge inthe form of ahelical land of largepitchonsuch second zone, the surface of the secondzone, except at theland, lying on the same cylinder as the first zone,said cap being cup shaped and including a sleeve for telescoping overthe neck of the container, the sleeve being made of a relatively stiffelastomeric material havingan annular zone onits inner surface forelastically engaging the uninterrupted first an nular zone onthecontainer neck completely therearoundand throughout substantially thelength of such first zone on the neck, the inner surface of the sleeve,in another zone, over-- lying and frictionally engagihg the ridge on thesecond zone of the container neck when the cap is applied to the neck,the inner top sur face ofthe cap having at least the annular z'on'ethereof confronting the up of the neck" lying in a plane substantiallyat right anglesto the axis of the sleeve of the can, said annular zoneon the inner top surface of the cap effecting a seal with the lip of theneck of the container when the cap" is fully engaged on the containerneck, the sleeve whenremoved' from the container neck having an innersurface throughout the major portion of its length which issubstantially cylindrical and an inner diameter which is slightlysmaller than the diameter of the smooth annula'r uninterrupted zone onthe container hook at the outer end" thereof.

ERICHGRONEMEYER.

SAMUEL CHERBA.

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